Cryptozoic Entertainment Working On Portal Board Game

Cryptozoic Entertainment announced that it is working on a tabletop game based on Valve's popular puzzle series Portal. Cryptozoic is also working on games based on The Walking Dead and NHL.

Cryptozoic Entertainment has previously worked on games for properties like Street Fighter, Penny Arcade, and Hawken, but during the American International Toy Fair last week, the company released a few details about its upcoming Portal game.

The game is tentatively titled Portal: Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game and is designed for two to four players. The company is working with some of the designers of the games to deliver a unique narrative experience. The retail package will come with custom playing pieces that include test subjects, sentry turret, weighted companion cube, and of course cake. Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game will release sometime in the fall for $50.

Our TakeThis sounds cool to me. I love Portal and enjoy board games. However, I question how a board game can capture the spirit of Valve's popular puzzle game, but since Cryptozoic is working with some of the original designers, I'm willing to give them the benefit of a doubt.

The puzzles and dialog in Portal are amongst the best in gaming. That being said, I have no idea how any of that could translate to a board game. Well aside from some insults written on game cards. But the delivery wouldn't be there.

Still, I'm eager to see what they come up with. More Portal sounds great! But seeing as there's virtually no way to translate a physics based game into a board game. They'll have to come up with a different way to represent that franchise. Unless I'm missing something.